Brussels – Difficulty or inability to walk, see, or hear, or even accidents that can cause limb loss. There may be different reasons and types of disability, but in the EU, the cases, fortunately, do not seem to be so many. Data released by Eurostat shows that only a small proportion of the EU population over 50 or in their senior years received disability pensions. Just 4.6 percent of people aged 50-74 received disability pensions or other periodic disability benefits in 2023, translating into over 6.2 million such welfare benefits across the EU.
On figures, in percentage terms, the most significant share of men and women receiving only disability pensions or other periodic disability benefits are in Estonia (11.5 percent of people aged 50-74), Denmark (10.1 percent), and Lithuania (9.1 percent). On the other hand, the lowest rates are in Cyprus (1.9 percent), Malta (2.2 percent) and Greece (2.5 percent).
In absolute terms, however, everything changes, as France (just over one million), Spain (just over one million), and Germany (681 thousand) are the EU Member States with the most significant number of guaranteed and paid disability pensions. Italy follows in fourth place (655 thousand). The situation is unsurprising, given that these are the most populous member states, and consequently, the likelihood of having more people with health problems increases.
